


We Think, Therefore We Are Angels

by ArchLichCovenant



Series: The Purpose of a Belt [2]
Category: Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider Ghost, Neon Genesis Evangelion
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-30
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-07-20 12:00:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16136789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchLichCovenant/pseuds/ArchLichCovenant
Summary: Arriving at his father's request, Shinji Ikari suffers an accident leading him to become a different kind of hero.





	1. Prologue

He knew he shouldn’t have come, and now he was going to die here. Shinji Ikari screwed up, he should have found a shelter. Blood was running through his quickly blackening vision, injured by debris from an exploding combat chopper. He decided to accept his fate, it seemed so much easier. He could barely hear the woman calling his name, couldn’t feel her shaking him. It didn’t seem important.

\-------------  
In an instant he stood in a peaceful grove, surrounded by trees and a beautiful waterfall. “Am I dead?” Shinji wondered aloud.

“Technically, yes” an older voice announced, startling Shinji “But just for a short while, the doctors at NERV are already a moment from reviving you” an old, white haired man wearing monk-like robes stood next to the young man.

“Oh” was all Shinji had to say, he looked down at his feet.

“Before you go, however, I have something for you.” The old man rifled around in his robes for a second before producing an eyeball-like gadget. It was purple with a green iris. Shinji accepted the gift staring intently into it. 

“What is it?” Shinji asked.

“An eyecon, something to change your fate.” the old man laughed “You know Shinji, if you had stood two feet to the left we would have never met.”

“Who are you?”

“Just a Sage”

\-------------  
Shinji bolts upright on his hospital bed, the building around him shaking. The doctors around him running for cover as the geofont takes damage. Glancing around Shinji is greeted by a ghost-like being with a massive eye for a head. “Ahhh!” Shinji screams and falls from his bed.

“Don’t be such a scaredy cat Shinji! I’m Onisen, and we need to move fast. Especially if you want to save the girl.” The ghost chastises.

“What? And a girl?” Shinji loses himself in thought for a moment before Onisen grabs Shinji and drags him from his bed. “Where are we going?”

“Back to the surface!” Onisen says, opening an eye shaped portal and dragging the two of them through. Crashing to the ground, Shinji looks up to see a massive green and purple mechanoid battling a large black monster.

“What is happening?” Shinji screams.

“She needs your help!” Onisen gestures at the mechanoid, now knocked prone.

“But how! What can I do?”

“Be a hero!” Onisen replies, pointing at the ghostly belt that had appeared on Shinji’s waist. “The Sage gave you an eyecon, right?” Shinji reaches into his pocket and finds the purple and green device, remarking silently the resemblance to the mechanoid. 

“So do I just?” Shinji asks while inserting the eyecon into the belt “Then I?” He continues to ask as he pulls the lever on the side of the belt.

“Kaigan: Ore. Let’s Go! Kakugo! F-f-f-fallen!” The belt announces, the last word distorted. Orange fluid leaks out of the belt, enveloping Shinji before hardening into jagged, vibrant green armour glowing creepily. Green spikes shoot up from its shoulders and a red orb sits in its chest. A purple coat flew from the belt, swarming around Shinji before combining with him. The jacket was sleeveless and long, nearly hanging down to his ankles. He pulled back its hood to reveal ghostly visage with a single purple horn. With that purple armour forms around the forearms and shins, and a silver plate surrounds the red orb.

Shinji looked over himself, confused and afraid. There’s no turning back now.


	2. Out of Left Field

Standing there transformed Shinj was shaking, in part from fear and in part from the incoming angel. He stood like a deer in the headlights, unmoving. The large purple mechanoid still laid sprawled out on the ground. He watches as it attempts to rise, only to be struck by the angel and pinned to the ground.

“What are you waiting for!?” Onisen calls out to Shinji, shaking him from his stupor.

“But, it’s massive. How can I…?” Shinji complained.

“It’s simple” Onisen replied in an annoyed tone “You’re like an angel now, so you can unfold your soul to grow in size.”

“How is that simple!?” 

“Just try, it’s now or never!” Onisen scolded Shinji. Taking a deep breath, Shinji makes his attempt. Focusing inward, he elicits a response from the red gem upon his chest. His body transmutes into colourful energy, and he begins to grow. 

“Wow, I did it” Shinji said to himself looking down at himself. Distracted, he is struck with a blast from the angel and knocked to the ground. “Ahrg” he calls out in pain, slowly rising to his feet.

“Your AT field Shinji!” He could hear Onisen shout. Thankfully, that was enough to bring his awareness out allowing him to form an AT field barrier in time to defend from another blast. 

“Yes, I can do this!” Shinji felt confident from how easily he generated his field. He rushed in, jacket billowing in the wind, throwing a wild punch at the angel. Their AT fields met, sparks flying from the impact. The Angel reached out and grabs Shinji’s arm, pulling him to the ground, before beginning to pummel the fallen rider. ‘Escaped one death, only to find another. Figures.’ Shinji thought to himself. Laying there he looks over, seeing the fallen eva unit. Suddenly he is overcome with guilt. “Save the girl” he said to himself, Onisen’s words resounding through his head. Soon guilt was replaced by anger, and Shinji once again began to rise even under the heavy strikes of the angel. “I’m going to save you!” He called out to the purple eva. Turning around, Shinji catches one of the angels strikes and uses the opening to kick it square in its red core. Sparks flew from the conflicting AT fields before Shinji’s won out and the angel went flying.

Sachiel the angel was still in the process of standing when Shinji was upon him again. The angel reacted faster than the boy and blasted him point blank with an explosion of energy in a cross shape. Before the dust had even settled Shinji reached out of the debris and grabbed Sachiel by its ribs and used them as leverage to throw them, tearing those ribs off in the process. Taking the ribs, Shinji approached the angel and began using them to strike at it over and over again. The angel’s core began to glow and it jumped at the rider, attempting to grab onto his head. Shinji managed to grasp the angel and hold him at bay purely on reflex. 

“Shinji! Shinji!” Onisen shouts, acquiring the boy’s attention “Like this!” The ghost demonstrated several hand signs “Now hurry! It’s gonna blow!” Shinji’s attention was back on the angel and as fast as he could he dropped the angel and performed the hand signs. An eye-like sigil, similar to the portal Onisen made earlier, appeared in the air above the angel’s core. Then the angel was gone. Shinji let out a sharp breath, as his transformation cancelled and he returned to normal size. Laying on the rough ground, Shinji discovers a new eyecon in his hand. Black and white with a shimmering red-pink iris. 

\-------------  
“Mr. Ikari, sir” Gendo ignored the man calling out to him. His full attention was locked onto the frozen image on the screen in front of him, showing Shinji’s transformed state standing over the angel.

\-------------  
Shinji wakes up, back on his hospital bed. “Did I dream?” He quietly remarks to himself, only to be startled by a grey cat jumping onto him.

“Sorry, no chance. Last night was the real deal!” The cat speaks in Onisen’s voice.

“Well I guess this is my life now…” Shinji replies before asking with a star “What about the girl?” Onisen giggles at this.

“I’m sure you’ll meet her soon enough”

After a few minutes Shinji, bored, gets up to stretch his legs. “Wow, you know I feel pretty good all things considered” he comments to Onisen as he approaches the hallway window. Staring out for a few seconds, he notices someone passing by in a stretcher. A young girl, gravely wounded. His eyes meet her one uncovered, crimson coloured eye.

“You…” she speaks weakly as she is moved past him.

“How could she recognize me?” He spoke quietly to Onisen after she was gone.

“Good question” Onisen responds. Silence permeates the air for a good ten seconds.

“That’s no way to answer someone’s question!” Shinji shouts, catching himself too late to quiet down. Receiving no reply from his feline ally, Shinji dejectedly walks towards a common area and takes a seat. Reaching into his pocket, he produces the new eyecon. He stares into it for a long while. The more he stares, the more he could feel last night’s battle again. He can feel the angel’s sense of defeat before its attempted self-destruction. After what feels like an eternity staring into the device he is approached by a woman. Looking at her, he can recall that she was the one who was supposed to pick him up. Likely the one who found him wounded and brought him here initially. “You must be Misato” he states calmly, returning the eyecon to his pocket “I guess I have you to thank for bringing me here, right?” He gives her his best innocent smile, rubbing the back of his own head nervously.

She slapped him. “Don’t scare me like that!” She demanded

“Hey, what’s the big idea! I was trying to thank you” Shinji whined.

“Your welcome.” She smiled back “I was just so worried”

Shinji was more confused than anything at this point, but decided to roll with it. “So did my dad send you here to get me?”

“Ah, something like that” Misato responded “He, uh… doesn’t…”

“If he called me all the way here and still doesn’t want to see me that’s fine” 

“No, no, no. I’m sure it’s not like that. The reason he called you here… something’s gone wrong” She suddenly looked very worried “He’s not going to send you away, so we need to find out where you’ll be staying”

“Fine” Shinji responded, a slight hint of venom behind just that one word. He followed Misato to the elevators. The doors open, revealing Gendo standing there. He looks at Shinji, who in turn looks away. Onisen hisses a Gendo from next to Shinji’s legs, earning a glare from the older man. At this Shinji manages to crack a smile just before the doors close.

Taking the elevator, Misato leads Shinji into a large strange room with a floor depicting the geofont. “You mean he’ll be living alone?” Misato responds to the other man in the room, shaking Shinji from his introspection. Once again he was thinking about the new eyecon’s gaze.

“Yes, his room is located in Block 6 over there. Any problems?” The man responds.

“No” Shinji states.

“Are you sure about that Shinji?” Misato asks the boy

“I prefer being alone. Any place is the same” is his reply, which earns him a bite on the leg from Onisen. Shinji, to his credit, only made a slight squint at the pain.

\-------------  
“What!?” Shinji could hear a woman shout from the other side of the phone.

“I said that I’m taking Shinji home to live with me, okay? It’s already been approved by the higher ups. And don’t worry, I won’t be doing anything to him” She says, putting on a particularly sultry tone for that last sentence.

“OF COURSE YOU’RE NOT! HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK OF THAT!” the other woman yells, causing Misato to flinch away from the phone.

“Some people don’t have any sense of humour” Misato remarks, holding the phone at arms length. Shinji could hear Onisen snickering, eliciting a sigh from the boy. ‘I have a bad feeling about this’ Shinji thinks to himself before sighing again.


	3. Thesis Statement

Shinji lay awake in his darkened bedroom, examining the Sachiel eyecon and reflecting on the direction his life has taken. He turned to the spirit disguised as a cat laying next to him. “Hey Onisen. Why does my transformation look like the robot the girl was piloting?”

“Well, your transformation is a manifestation of your soul. Why it looks like the Evangelion unit, well it’s not my place to say” Onisen replied.

“Another non-answer answer” Shinji sighed

“You’re better off discovering some of these truths on your own. They will come to you when the time is right. Meanwhile you need to start asking better questions.”

“Like?” Shinji guessed Onisen was right about the former part of his answer, but the latter had him perplexed.

“Why are you so okay with being alone, for one”

“I’m just used to it.”

“But why are you used to it?”

“It’s just the way it has always been.”

“That doesn’t make it right, Shinji. Why did you come when your father summoned you then?”

“I…” Shinji looked away.

“Nobody is really alright with being alone. It can be easy to feel that way when you’ve been hurt by others, but there are those who will treat you right, who will take care of you.”

“Nobody cares about me like that”

“Then why did Misato take you in?”

“I.. she barely knows me”

“But her first instinct was to take you home. The kindest people don’t even think of acting differently, it never even occurs to them.” Onisen quieted for a moment “I’m not saying shes perfect, or that she’ll give you all the attention you never had. But she’s still here for you”

“I guess” Shinji looked back at the eyecon.

“And so am I. if you ever want to talk about something” Onisen added, followed by a yawn “Goodnight Shinji”

“Goodnight Onisen” Shinji rolled onto his side, facing away from Onisen. He soon found himself drifting off to sleep, clutching the eyecon.

\-------------  
Shinji found himself on a rooftop, overlooking the batter between himself and Sachiel. He was quite puzzled at this “Am I dreaming?” He asked aloud, examining himself. Looking back to the battle he saw both his transformed self and the angel looking directly at him, completely unmoving. Unnerved, Shinji stumbled back and tripped. He was falling fast but never hit the ground. He found himself in a black void, soon joined by Sachiel. He watched as the angel morphed and changed into Misato. She reached out and offered her hand to Shinji. He was frozen, confused by the dream. Looking back on Onisen’s words, he swallowed hard and tries to take her hand but backs off at the last second. She floats away, leaving him in the dark.

\-------------  
At NERV Shinji finds himself hooked up to a menagerie of machines while a blonde woman in a lab coat examines him, taking readings from a variety of devices. She seems bothered by the results. “Is everything alright?” Shinji asks.

“Uh” Ritsuko begins “Yes, everything is in order.” Shinji could tell she was lying but didn’t push for the truth. She exits the examination room, where Misato is waiting. “These readings don’t make any sense. He’s supposed to be the third child.” She rubs her forehead, handing a sheaf of papers to Misato. The results show a near zero percent compatibility with unit one.

“Why does it matter at this point?” Misato asks “Unit one is inoperable, right?”

“Mr. Ikari insists. He seems… increasingly irritable over the unit’s bizarre degradation.” Ritsuko informs her friend. They both look through the room’s window at Shinji, still wired to the machines, concern visible on their faces.

\-------------  
It had been little over a week since his arrival, dreams of Sachiel and Misato haunting his sleep. It had been just another average school day, and he was now eating instant ramen for dinner with Misato. “Hey, Misato?” Shinji looked up from his meal “Do the tests they're running on me have to do with the attack on the city?”

Misato nearly choked on her ramen “No not at all… well not exactly” She took a sharp inhale of breath “I’m not supposed to tell you, or anybody, this but you should know. We are testing you for compatibility with a certain project, but it was severely damaged in the attack anyway.”

“Mhm.” Shinji nodded.

“You’re probably better off like this, I’m just worried about…” She looks out past Shinji.

“The angels?”

“No. I trust we’ll find a way to beat them. It’s the other subject. If another attack occurs… nevermind. I already said too much. Let’s just forget about this” Misato forced a smile.

“You mean Rei. If she has to pilot the robot again.”

“How do you know that?” Misato sounded worried.

“I saw her at the hospital the day after the battle”

“Yeah. I don’t know how much more she can take.” She looked incredibly melancholy.

“She’ll be alright. I promise” Shinji wasn’t sure why he had said that, it just seemed like the right thing. Misato smiled at it all the same.

“Okay, that’s enough of that…” the rest of the evening went on without any occurrences of note.

\-------------  
Shinji found himself dreaming again. He walked alongside his transformed self and Sachiel through ruble and destroyed buildings. He found himself at the payphone he used when he first arrived. He heard a car arrive behind him, and Misato calling for him to hop in. He turned to her and smiled. He entered the car, and they drove toward her apartments. He looked a her face again, and found it replaced by Sachiel’s mask. “So what do you think? Your kinda town?” it asked in a distorted voice.

“I don’t know” Shinji replied “I haven’t exactly made any friends” he admitted.

“You will” It’s voice even more inhuman. Shinji found his eyes tearing up at this.

“Thank you” Shinji responded, his voice shaking.

“You’re welcome” The angel said.

\-------------  
It was two weeks to the day since Shinji came to Tokyo-3, and he found himself daydreaming in class. He wondered about Rei, the strange girl in his class. He never saw her with anyone, something Shinji was familiar with. He remembered promising Misato she would be fine, of course she had know idea in what way he meant it. Maybe he would talk to her at lunch? No, he didn’t have it in him. He could talk to some of the guys, maybe try to be friendly. The chance would never materialize, as the emergency sirens blared in the middle of the day. His class was being evacuated to a shelter, but Rei was nowhere to be seen. He needed to get out of here, before they deployed her again. Thankfully, Onisen arrived just on time “Ready to go Shinji?” the spirit asked. Shinji nodded in response and Onisen, in his spirit form, created a portal for them.

Stepping through Shinji readied himself, conjuring forth is belt and readying his eyecon. Activating his transformation, he recalled watching superhero shows as a child. “Henshin!” he screamed.

“Kaigan: Ore. Let’s Go! Kakugo! F-f-f-fallen!” His belt announced, the ghost jacket fusing with him. He cracked his knuckles, his fighting spirit palpable through his AT field. He finally had a home to protect. He unfolded is soul and grew to monstrous size, marching forward to meet the approaching threat whatever it may be. 

It flew into view, resembling an elongated, flattened arrow. It stopped and stood upright upon closing in, it’s two pink energy tentacles beginning to undulate. Shinji charged in as usual, trying to strike the enemy angel with a hard kick only to be lashed at by the angel’s tentacles. They sparked off of his AT field, slicing nearby building apart. Shinji began to dash about, attempting to evade its tentacles and close the distance. The angel managed to nab him by the ankle and throw him with incredible force. He hit the ground hard. Shaking his head from its dazed state he noticed two of his classmates between his fingers, they must have snuck away from the shelter to watch he thought. The angel flew overhead, snapping its tentacles at Shinji, who caught them. It began to charge the tentacles with energy, burning his hands. He didn’t know what to do, he couldn’t fight with them around. He was afraid again.

“You Will” a distorted voice rang through his head. He felt his resolve harden, and he kicked the angel off of himself with all the energy he could muster. The arrow-like being flew back as Shinji rose to his feet. Retrieving the Sachiel eyecon, he replaced the one in his belt with it an activated it. 

“Kaigan: Sachiel. Cover of God, Angel of Charity!” A blue black jacket-ghost flew from his belt and fuse with him, replacing his purple one. It had bone-like pauldrons attached to it. His purple gauntlets and boots were replaced by ones of bone, ridged and ending in spindly digits. The silver plate around his red core was replaced by a rib-cage like one. A bone beak hung over the top of the hood, and when Shinji pulled it back it revealed a faceplate near identical to Sachiel’s mask, with the addition of a single horn. 

Shinji made an AT field assisted leap, flying through the air he readied a single red-pink lance from his left palm. Landing atop his foe he drove it into its head. He hopped down from its back, landing behind it. The angel swung its tentacles backward to strike at Shinji, who retaliate by firing off a cross-shaped explosion from his faceplate. This shredded the tentacles, giving Shinji the opening he needed. He pumped the lever on the side of his belt, which announced “Omega Drive”. He held both palms forward and fired both red-pink lances into his opponents core, which began to crack. He charged forward, the eye sigil appearing in front of his fist as he struck the two lances hammering them in and destroying the angel.

Shinji was still transformed when he returned to normal size, holding the Shamshel eyecon. Tossing it up and down in his hand, he approached his two classmates. They seemed frightened of him but he continued anyway. “You two should go home” was all he could think to say. It was what he wanted to do. He left them, cancelling his transformation once he was sure he was alone. When he finally reached Misato’s apartment, Shinji opened the door and called out “I’m home.”


	4. Something Else

Crash. A tree collapses under the relentless assault of a green armoured warrior wielding a dagger, the guard of which contains a familiar eye crest. Shinji pants in his transformed state, training under the careful eye of Onisen. “So how did I do?” He asks the spirit.

“You’re a natural. You’ll master the Gan Gun Dagger in no time, now switch it to pistol mode.” At the spirit’s behest Shinji fumbles with the weapon, twisting and turning the blade into a gun-like formation. He turns to Onisen, who nods. Shinji looks down the top of the gun and fires a volley at another tree, which all impact exactly where he aimed effectively drilling a hole through the tree. “Excellent! The Great Eye made a great pick with you!” Onisen cheered.

“The Great Eye.” Shinji mumbled “Hey Onisen, don’t you think it’s time you told me what is really going on?”

“That’s a rather vague question Shinji.” Onisen responded.

“Ugh, okay. What is the Great Eye? Why did it choose me? What are the eyecons? What are you for that matter?” Shinji rattled on.

“That’s better I guess. The Great Eye is a powerful deific entity which formerly protected the Gamma people. Nowadays it sands among the likes of Gaia and the Presenter as a patron of Riders. Eyecons are a method by which the power of a soul can be manifested, they are formed by the Great Eye’s power. I am the spirit of a cat contained in an Eyecon.”

“You missed a question” Shinji stated, not entirely happy with the answers he did get.

“You were given your ghost driver for reasons only you can know. That’s what I was told a least. Any other questions?”

“What are the Angels and why are they attacking? What is going on at NERV and what does my father have to do with all of this?”

“I can only partially answer those ones I’m afraid. I can tell you that the Angels are more soul than physical, or more accurately there isn’t a difference for them. Hence why they can be turned into eyecons. The full answers though, are all tied together and are things you must uncover yourself. I’ll give you a hint though, you might want to get closer with Rei.” Onisen punctuate this with an exaggerated wink, well as much as a one-eyed being could wink.

“Rei huh?” Shinji looked off into the distance for a moment before taking a deep breath “Fine. One last thing though, the stuff you said about the Angels and eyecons… I’ve been having dreams, it feels like they're trying to communicate to me somehow.”

“Communication between eyecons and their wielder are important, synchronizing with them is the only way to unlock their power. As for why they would… I’m not sure” Onisen tapped its giant eye thoughtfully “It probably isn’t too important”

“I hope not” Shinji responded.

\-------------  
That night Shinji had another dream. This time he looked out upon Tokyo-3 from a distance just as the sun was setting. It was surrounded by a massive wall made of criss-crossed buildings, jutting from the ground and each other at odd angles. A gap in the wall was guarded by the angel Shamshel and his transformed self, standing on opposite sides of the “gate”. Shinji approached the entrance slowly, its two massive guardians moving to block is path causing Shinji to flinch. He looks up at them, and when he returns his gaze to his level Rei is standing before him. She methodically moves to stand beside him. The angel speaks to the two “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. Shinji gulps in fear.

\-------------  
Shinji sat in class still going over his dream, trying to discern if it meant anything. Of course it had to include Rei, just after Onisen told him she was key to his understanding of the situation. He sighed and turned to look at the other students, when he caught glimpse of something. One of his classmates was modelling his ghost driver and transformed state on their laptop. It was one of the ones he saved… what was his name again? It took a moment for Shinji to recall, it was Kensuke. Once class was over Shinji approached Kensuke “Hey! Kensuke right? What was that you were modelling?”

“Spying are me were you new kid?” Kensuke replies, side eyeing shinji. 

“No, nothing like that” Shinji waves his arms defensively “I just liked it and wanted to ask about it”

Kensuke didn’t seem all that convinced to Shinji, but in an instant is disposition flipped “You know that giant warrior that’s been fighting those monsters? Well me and Toji” Kensuke gestured towards their other classmate “We snuck out out of the shelter during the last attack and he saved us. He even shrunk down and talked to us” the excitement was evident in his voice “There’s an actual superhero running around!”

“Don’t let him scare you off with his ranting, he means well” Toji chides his classmate as he approaches. 

“Oh come on Toji, you mean you’re not excited about there being a real superhero?” Kensuke challenges Toji, trapping Shinji in the middle.

“We’re in the middle of a warzone, superhero or not. My sister got injured in the first attack. So no, i’m not excited” Toji crossed his arms.

“You missed something” Shinji interrupts. His two classmates turn to him with confused looks “Some details on the belt. I guess you could say I’m a fan of his too” Sinji smiled and rubbed the back of his head.

“Really?” kensuke shouted.

\-------------  
Another day, another test a NERV. He understood that they were trying to figure out why he was incompatible with the evangelion. Something likely the result of his own power. Not that he could let them know, they would probably dissect him or something. He was just getting ready to leave with Misato when he caught a glimpse of his father speaking with Rei. They both seemed happy. It made Shinji’s skin crawl for some reason. It just didn’t seem right.

“That should be all for today, Shinji” Ritsuko informs, pulling Shinji from his thoughts.

“Oh, um okay.” Shinji nods, his gaze still on Gendo and Rei.

“Hey Ritsuko” Misato chimed in “Why don’t you come over for dinner tonight?”

\--------------  
Misato, Ritsuko and Rei sat around the table in Misato’s apartment. They were eating ramen, or at least Misato was. Shinji decides this may be the time to ask. “I saw Rei talking with my father. They seemed happy, I don’t think I’ve seen either of them smile before then.”

“Huh?” Ritsuko turns to face Shinji “Oh. Well during an activation test that went wrong he saved her, burnt his hands pretty bad in the process too.” 

“I see” it still didn’t sit well with Shinji, he hardly believed his father would save someone. “An activation test… for an evangelion?”

“Mhm. A prototype unit. We’re actually in the process of reactivating it to replace the one damaged in the angel attack the day you arrived.” Misato replied with her mouth full of ramen.

“On that topic Shinji” Ritsuko begins “Do you think you could deliver Rei her new NERV Id, I forgot to do so earlier.” 

“Oh.. I ummm.. Sure.” Shinji looks down, blushing.

“What’s that Shinji? Embarrassed to go by a girl’s house?” Misato ribs. Shinji could hear Onisen snicker from nearby. 

\-------------  
The next morning Shinji heads towards Rei’s apartment. Rei, the pilot. The one his father seems to care about. The one Onisen said he should get closer to, if he wants to find answers. He was preoccupied to say the least, so it took him a moment to realize he had been standing outside her door for a while. Shaking himself out of his daze he rings her doorbell, waiting a while longer. When she didn’t answer he tried the door. He wasn’t even sure why he did that, but the door was unlocked and he waltzed right in. The place was a mess, bloodied bandages lying about. He thought about the first time he saw her, back in the hospital. She recognized him then.

Shinji is once again pulled away from his daydreaming, this time by an unwelcome sight. A pair of his father’s glasses sitting on top of a dresser. He studies them for a minute, the thought crosses his mind to put them on. He reaches out for them but stops. Shinji takes a deep breath and smiles. He has his own power now, there is no reason to compare himself to his father. All that smug confidence is gone in a moment as he turns around to see Rei in nothing but a towel staring at him. He quickly averts his gaze, partially to hide is blush. “I’m sorry. I came to give you your new badge, but you didn’t answer the doorbell and the door was unlocked so I came in.” Shinji races through his words.

“It’s okay. You’re commander Ikari’s son.” She reaches out. It takes Shinji a few seconds to realize she’s waiting for him to give her the id.

“Oh, right” He hands over the card. “You recognized me, the day at the hospital.” He continues to look away from Rei.

“Yes. You saved me, just like your father.” 

“I’m nothing like my father” Shinji grumbled.

“I don’t understand”

“It doesn’t matter. How did you recognize me?” Shinji replies.

“I’m not sure. I think… the Evangelion did.”

That surprised Shinji. “What do you mean?”

“I could feel a connection while I was plugged into the unit, it knew you somehow.”

“They’re going to put you in an Eva again”

“I know”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“Why would I be?”

“I heard the last test didn’t go too well. Plus what happened when you fought the angel”

“Don’t you have faith in your father’s work?”

“I… I have faith that I can fight the angels. So others don’t need to get hurt.” Shinji finally worked up the courage to look up and meet her eyes. They stared at one another for a while.

“It’s okay. I’m happy to work at NERV”

“Why?”

“Because I have nothing else” She responds. Those words hit Shinji like a ton of bricks. He attempts to say something else but just stutters. “I need to get ready for the activation test” She says coldly. Shinji nods and sees himself out. Looking out at the sky he feels something amiss. Retrieving the Shamshel eyecon from his pocket he looks into it. He takes a deep breath and heads out on his own.

\-------------  
Shinji was sitting alone in a park when he heard the sirens. An angel attack. He had a feeling one was coming. Standing up calmly he summons his belt and inserts his personal eyecon. “Kaigan: Ore. Let’s Go! Kakugo! F-f-f-fallen!”. He unfolds, becoming giant before striding towards the threat: A massive, floating crystalline octahedron with a blue sheen. He can hear the sounds of a choir as it positions itself. 

“The first fight I had, I found the drive to win in order to protect Rei. I didn't even know her then. Now, I’ll end this so she doesn’t have to fight” Shinji’s thoughts reinforce his desire to win this fight. Holding his hand near the belt he summons the Gan Gun Dagger and charges forward, attempting to jam the blade through the target’s AT field, only to repelled. The angel fires a directed beam at Shinji who dodges, and continues into a run to evade the pursuing energy. Quickly he swaps his out eyecon for another.

“Kaigan: Sachiel. Cover of God, Angel of Charity!” Assuming his Sachiel form Shinji retaliates with a beam of his own, firing a cross shaped explosion at the angel. The AT field doesn’t falter even for a moment. In a moment he is caught by the geometric angel’s attack, his own AT field only holding up for a second before Shinji suffers the full brunt of the beam. Sparks fly from Shinji’s armour and he is knocked back far, landing on his face.

\-------------  
Shinji awakens in a primeval garden, a place of unparalleled beauty. He stumbles around, wandering aimlessly until Rei suddenly appears beside him. Shinji is startled not just from her appearing from nowhere, but because she is nude. At which point Shinji realizes so is he. She stares at him for a long while before he turns to look her in the eyes as well. They stand there for a long while, until Shinji notices a serpent hanging down from the branches between them. A serpent wearing his father’s glasses. Suddenly both Shinji and Rei are pulled away rapidly, now standing afore a large gate barring entry into the garden. In front of it stands Shamshel. “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. It speaks. Rei stares past the angel though and begins to walk towards the gate. The angel lashes out at Rei with its energy tentacles, but Shinji dives in the way of the attack. Surprisingly he finds himself in is transformed state. He turns to Rei, now a yellow evangelion. He smiles from behind his helmet and feels as if Rei does the same. Standing up straight, they both charge the Angel.

They are both now standing in front of the apartments, Shinji still transformed an Rei still an eva. They tower over the nearby building. He looks out over the city. “Our home. The place we both belong” he says aloud. He offers his hand to Rei, and together they march towards the Geofront.

\-------------  
Shinji comes to, awakening for real this time on a desolate street. His phone is ringing “Hello?” he answers it groggily. 

“Shinji, it’s Misato. You’re at the shelter right?”

“Huh? Oh yeah.” Shinji replies panicked. 

“Is everything okay Shinji?”

“Yeah, definitely. Is Rei with you? Can I talk to her real quick?” 

“Um, sure but only for a second” Misato responds. He can hear them shuffling about for a moment. Shinji’s head is in splitting pain but he does his best to shake it off. 

“Hello?” Rei asks

“Rei, I’m sorry about earlier but I think I understand now. If we are going to beat this angel we need to work together, I might have a plan but it’s going to be dangerous”

“What do I need to do?”

“Do you have a way to hold off the angel’s ranged attack?”

“There should be, at least temporarily”

“Then convince them to deploy you with it. The other part is I need you to trust me.

“Of course”

“I’m serious. If this goes wrong we could die.”

“You won’t die. I’ll protect you”

“And what about you?”

“It’s okay. Like I said I have nothing else.” Rei replies. Shinji took a second to reply but was cut off. “We have to go. Goodbye.” She hung up. Shinji sighed, then steeled himself and summoned his belt.

“Let’s win this Rei” He calls out to no one in particular. “Henshin!”

“Kaigan: Ore. Let’s Go! Kakugo! F-f-f-fallen!”. He remained small until he could hear the eva being deployed and then rushed over, growing to full size in the process. Her eva was just like the one in his dream, Orange and with one eye. It carries a massive shield. Shinji smiled at her from behind his helmet, but could not tell if she smiled back. On a nearby roof he spots Kensuke and Toji, they and some of the others from the class were there cheering them on. Shinji gives them a small salute before leading motioning for Rei to lead the way. Soon they find themselves on the edge of the angel’s detection range. Shinji draws out the Shamshel eyecon and places it in his belt, pulling the lever on the side.

“Kaigan: Shamshel. Sun of God. Guardian of Eden!” His belt announces, transforming him anew. A purple-red jacket ghost flew from the belt and fused with him. His gauntlets and boots were replaced with pinkish ones with ribbons of energy hanging from them. A pair of t-shaped protrusions matching his jacket formed around his red core. The hood of the jacket had the arrowhead like appearance, and when he pulled it down it revealed a faceplate comprised of two “eyes”: red circles surrounded by white ones, and a single pinkish horn.

Shinji tests out lashing forward with an energy whip like Shamshel did, cutting through some of the nearby trees. Then he held out his hand in front of his belt, summoning the Gan Gun Dagger. He then twists it into gun mode and reaches out again, retrieving what appears to be a long arrow like device which resembles Shamshel except more red and with a sort of lava-lamp like section in the middle. He attaches it to his gun, which extends into a long rifle with a stock. He turns and nods at Rei and they both take positions. Rei in the forward location kneeling behind her shield while Shinji lays flat and begins lining up his shot, charging his rifle.

He fires once, an attack which is blocked by a counter shot by the Angel causing both blasts to miss their targets. In moments the angel fires again, this time being blocked by Rei. Shinji quickly opens fire again, piercing the angel’s AT field with a well timed shot. The blast knocks the angel off kilter, at which point Shinji stands and pumps the lever on the side of his belt holding his rifle in front of it. The energy from his belt pours into the weapon as the belt announces “Omega Drive”. Shinji raises the gun with one hand and fires, the eye sigil appearing at the point of impact as the attack obliterates the angel. 

Shinji looks down to see Rei’s eva severely damaged. Shrinking down Shinji rushes to the side of the eva and tears the door off “Rei! Are you alright!” he yells as he enters. She opens her eyes slowly, at which Shinji begins to cry behind his helmet. “You shouldn’t say that you have nothing else. And don’t say goodbye before a mission like you’re not going to come back.” is voice was shaking. 

“Are you crying?” Rei asks, receiving an nod from Shinji “I… don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“You can just smile” Shinji replies. Rei seems confused for a second, before smiling at Shinji.

\-------------  
Shinji finds himself walking to school on a sunny day, contemplating the new eyecon in his hands. A hyper reflective blue with a sky blue iris and diamond shaped pupil. He is so distracted he nearly bumps into Rei. “Oh. hey I didn’t see you there.”

“That’s okay Shinji.”

“I take it your back at school today?” Shinji asks. Rei nods. Quickly he pockets the eyecons “Then let's walk together” and side by side they head to their school. Shinji recalls the Shamshel dream and smiles.


End file.
